公开(公告)号：US11874401B2

公开(公告)日：2024-01-16

申请号：US16378315

申请日：2019-04-08

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Joseph G. LaChapelle ,  Matthew D. Weed ,  Scott R. Campbell ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Austin K. Russell ,  Lane A. Martin

IPC: G01C3/08 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01W1/02 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S7/00 ,  G01S7/497 ,  G01W1/14 ,  G01S17/95 ,  G01S7/486 ,  G01S17/931

CPC classification number: G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/003 ,  G01S7/497 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01W1/02 ,  G01W1/14 ,  G01S7/4868 ,  G01S17/931 ,  G01S17/95 ,  G01S2007/4975 ,  Y02A90/10

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for dynamically varying receiver characteristics in a lidar system includes emitting light pulses by a light source in a lidar system. The method further includes detecting, by a receiver in the lidar system, light from one of the light pulses scattered by one or more remote targets to identify a return light pulse. The method also includes determining an atmospheric condition at or near a geolocation of a vehicle that includes the lidar system. The method further includes providing a control signal to the receiver adjusting one or more characteristics of the receiver to compensate for attenuation or distortion of the return light pulses associated with the atmospheric condition.

公开(公告)号：US10591601B2

公开(公告)日：2020-03-17

申请号：US16031815

申请日：2018-07-10

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Richmond Hicks ,  Matthew D. Weed ,  Jason M. Eichenholz

IPC: G01S17/18 ,  H04N5/232 ,  G02B26/10 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/89

Abstract: A machine vision system comprises a camera configured to generate one or more images of a field of regard of the camera, a lidar system, and a processor. The lidar system includes a laser configured to emit light, where the emitted light is directed toward a region within the field of regard of the camera and a receiver configured to detect light returned from the emitted light. The processor is configured to receive an indication of a location based on the returned light and determine whether a solid object is present at the location based on the one or more images.

公开(公告)号：US10267899B2

公开(公告)日：2019-04-23

申请号：US15876662

申请日：2018-01-22

Applicant: LUMINAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Matthew D. Weed ,  Scott R. Campbell ,  Lane A. Martin ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Austin K. Russell

IPC: G01S17/10 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/497 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/93

Abstract: To compensate for the uneven distribution of data points around the periphery of a vehicle in a lidar system, a light source transmits light pulses at a variable pulse rate according to the orientation of the light pulses with respect to the lidar system. A controller may communicate with a scanner in the lidar system that provides the orientations of the light pulses to the controller. The controller may then provide a control signal to the light source adjusting the pulse rate based on the orientations of the light pulses. For example, the pulse rate may be slower near the front of the lidar system and faster near the periphery. In another example, the pulse rate may be faster near the front of the lidar system and slower near the periphery.

公开(公告)号：US10209359B2

公开(公告)日：2019-02-19

申请号：US15845552

申请日：2017-12-18

Applicant: LUMINAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Austin K. Russell ,  Matthew D. Weed ,  Liam J. McGregor ,  Lane A. Martin ,  Jason M. Eichenholz

IPC: G01S7/483 ,  G01S17/10

Abstract: To increase the effective pulse rate of a light source in a lidar system, a controller provides control signals to the light source to transmit a light pulse once the previous light pulse has been received. The controller may communicate with a receiver in the lidar system that detects received light signals. In response to detecting a received light signal, the receiver may provide an indication of the received light signal to the controller which may in turn provide a control signal to the light source to transmit the next light pulse. The receiver may also provide characteristics of the received light signal to the controller, such as the peak power for the received light signal, the average power for the received light signal, the pulse duration of the received light signal, etc. Then the controller may analyze the characteristics to determine whether to transmit another light pulse.

公开(公告)号：US20180284224A1

公开(公告)日：2018-10-04

申请号：US15876662

申请日：2018-01-22

Applicant: LUMINAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Matthew D. Weed ,  Scott R. Campbell ,  Lane A. Martin ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Austin K. Russell

IPC: G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/497 ,  G01S17/93 ,  G01S17/10

CPC classification number: G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/4817 ,  G01S7/497 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/936

Abstract: To compensate for the uneven distribution of data points around the periphery of a vehicle in a lidar system, a light source transmits light pulses at a variable pulse rate according to the orientation of the light pulses with respect to the lidar system. A controller may communicate with a scanner in the lidar system that provides the orientations of the light pulses to the controller. The controller may then provide a control signal to the light source adjusting the pulse rate based on the orientations of the light pulses. For example, the pulse rate may be slower near the front of the lidar system and faster near the periphery. In another example, the pulse rate may be faster near the front of the lidar system and slower near the periphery.

公开(公告)号：US20200256960A1

公开(公告)日：2020-08-13

申请号：US16788762

申请日：2020-02-12

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Joseph G. LaChapelle ,  Philip W. Smith ,  Matthew D. Weed ,  Jason M. Eichenholz

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/4863

Abstract: In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit a pulse of light and a scanner configured to direct the emitted pulse of light into a field of regard of the lidar system. The lidar system also includes a receiver configured to receive a portion of the emitted pulse of light scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system. The receiver includes a digital micromirror device (DMD) that includes a two-dimensional array of electrically addressable micromirrors, where a portion of the micromirrors are configured to be set to an active-on state to direct the received pulse of light to a detector array. The detector array includes a two-dimensional array of detector elements, where the detector array is configured to detect the received pulse of light and produce an electrical signal corresponding to the received pulse of light.

公开(公告)号：US10418776B2

公开(公告)日：2019-09-17

申请号：US15901838

申请日：2018-02-21

Applicant: LUMINAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： David Welford ,  Martin A. Jaspan ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Scott R. Campbell ,  Lane A. Martin ,  Matthew D. Weed

IPC: G01S17/88 ,  H01S3/11 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S7/484 ,  H01S3/06 ,  H01S3/113 ,  H01S3/094 ,  G01S17/10 ,  H01S3/30 ,  G01S7/481 ,  H01S3/102 ,  H01S3/0941 ,  H01S3/08 ,  H01S3/16 ,  H01S3/00

Abstract: A lidar system can include a solid-state laser to emit pulses of light. The solid-state laser can include a Q-switched laser having a gain medium and a Q-switch. The lidar system can also include a scanner configured to scan the emitted pulses of light across a field of regard and a receiver configured to detect at least a portion of the scanned pulses of light scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system. The lidar system can also include a processor configured to determine the distance from the lidar system to the target based at least in part on a round-trip time of flight for an emitted pulse of light to travel from the lidar system to the target and back to the lidar system.

公开(公告)号：US10310058B1

公开(公告)日：2019-06-04

申请号：US15965288

申请日：2018-04-27

Applicant: LUMINAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Scott R. Campbell ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Matthew D. Weed ,  Lane A. Martin

IPC: G01C3/08 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G02B26/10 ,  G01S17/93

Abstract: A lidar system includes one or more light sources configured to generate a first and second beams of light, a scanner configured to synchronously scan a field of regard of the lidar system using the two beams, and a receiver configured to detect light of the two beams scattered by one or more remote targets. The scanner includes a rotatable polygon mirror having a block having a first wall, a second wall, and reflective surfaces extending between the first and second walls, the reflective surfaces being angularly offset from one another along a periphery of the block; a polygon mirror axle extending into the block, about which the block rotates; optical elements configured to direct the first and second beams of light respectively to two adjacent reflective surfaces of the rotatable polygon mirror; and a second mirror pivotable along an axis orthogonal to the polygon mirror axle.

公开(公告)号：US20180284237A1

公开(公告)日：2018-10-04

申请号：US15941677

申请日：2018-03-30

Applicant: LUMINAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Scott R. Campbell ,  Matthew D. Weed ,  Lane A. Martin ,  Jason M. Eichenholz

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/93 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S7/486

CPC classification number: G01S7/4817 ,  G01S7/4815 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/4861 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/936

Abstract: A lidar system includes a light source configured to emit light, a scanner configured to scan a field of regard of the lidar system using (i) a first output beam that includes at least a portion of the emitted light and has a first amount of power and (ii) a second output beam that includes at least a portion of the emitted light and has a second amount of power different from the first amount of power, with an angular separation between the first output beam and the second output beam along a vertical dimension of the field of regard, and a receiver configured to detect light associated with the first output beam and light associated with the second output beam scattered by one or more remote targets.

公开(公告)号：US10012732B2

公开(公告)日：2018-07-03

申请号：US15859170

申请日：2017-12-29

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Austin K. Russell ,  Scott R. Campbell ,  Alain Villeneuve ,  Rodger W. Cleye ,  Joseph G. LaChapelle ,  Matthew D. Weed ,  Lane A. Martin

IPC: G01S17/06 ,  G01S17/00 ,  G01S17/32

CPC classification number: G01S17/105 ,  G01S7/4804 ,  G01S7/4811 ,  G01S7/4814 ,  G01S7/4815 ,  G01S7/4816 ,  G01S7/4817 ,  G01S7/4818 ,  G01S7/483 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/4861 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S7/4873 ,  G01S7/4876 ,  G01S17/00 ,  G01S17/02 ,  G01S17/06 ,  G01S17/08 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/102 ,  G01S17/32 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/88 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S17/936 ,  H01S3/0007 ,  H01S3/0078 ,  H01S3/0085 ,  H01S3/06733 ,  H01S3/0675 ,  H01S3/06754 ,  H01S3/06758 ,  H01S3/08086 ,  H01S3/094003 ,  H01S3/094042 ,  H01S3/094076 ,  H01S3/0941 ,  H01S3/10023 ,  H01S3/1106 ,  H01S3/1608 ,  H01S3/2383 ,  H01S5/0057 ,  H01S5/0085 ,  H01S5/4012 ,  H01S5/4087 ,  H01S2301/02

Abstract: A lidar system with a pulsed laser diode to produce a plurality of optical seed pulses of light at one or more operating wavelengths between approximately 1400 nm and approximately 1600 nm. The lidar system may also include one or more optical amplifiers to amplify the optical seed pulses to produce a plurality of output optical pulses. Each optical amplifier may produce an amount of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE), and the output optical pulses may have characteristics comprising: a pulse repetition frequency of less than or equal to 100 MHz; a pulse duration of less than or equal to 20 nanoseconds; and a duty cycle of less than or equal to 1%. The lidar system may also include one or more optical filters to attenuate the ASE and a receiver to detect at least a portion of the output optical pulses scattered by a target located a distance.